without a solution, the streets of egypt may not be calm. reporting for nbc, cairo. >>> meanwhile, back in the states, lawmakers on capitol hill say they are working hard and fast to avoid the fiscal cliff. if a deal is not met by the end of next month, tax increases and spending cuts will kick in. we have more from washington with signs of a compromise. >> reporter: back from the turkey dinners, lawmakers are fresh. for months, efforts to avoid the tax increases and $100 billion in spending cuts have failed. republicans have been unwilling to raise taxes and democrats have been refusing to cut social security and medicare. now all that is changed. >> i'm willing to generate revenue. it is fair to ask my party to put revenue on the table. >> reporter: senator lindsey graham will violate a policy not to raise taxes. >> from my side of the table, bring reform. >> reporter: the promises come with contingencies. many republicans want to raise revenue by capping tax deductions or closing loopholes. democrats are still trying to keep some entitlem